Improvement in boring-machines



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Boring-Machine.

PatenxefdOct. 19, 1875.

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Baring-Machine.

' Patentedoct.19,1a75.,

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Boring-Machine. No. 168,862, Patented 0pt. 19,1875.` Y

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N. PETERS PHOTO-UTNOGRAFHER. WASHINGTON D C UNITED STATES PATENT ERICE.

MOSES C.. WIEDER7 or MERIEEN, CONNECTICUT,

' LANCASTER, MASSACHUSETTS, AND HENRY C. TYLER, OF DEEP RIVER,

ASSIGNORS T() PRATT, READ & CO., OF DEEP RIVER, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN Bouwe-MACHINES.

Specification forming lpart of Letters Patent No. 168,862, dated October 19, 1875; application filed April 5, 1875.

To all whom t 'may concern:

Be it known that we, MOSES G. WILDER, of Meriden, New Haven county, in the State of Connecticut, WILLIAM H. MCNEIL, of Lan; caster, Worcester county, in the State of Massachusetts, and HENRY C. TYLER, of Deep River, in the town -of Saybrook, Middlesex county, in the State of Connecticut, have invented certain, Improvements in Boring-Ma-l chines, of which the following is a specifica tion:

The improved machine is intended for bor ing the key-boards and key-board frames of piano-fortes and analogous keyed instruments. 1n these there is required a series of holes in a peculiarly-curved line, which line varies in different kinds and makes of pianos. There is also required a straight line of holes.

It may be important to briefly explain the general manufacture of key-boards and pianos by saying that unusual care is required out and glued together in a continuous broad piece. The keys are made side by side in a nearly complete condition and then smoothly separated by means of saws, and other fine dvidinginstruments.`

The thickness of a thin saw-kerf is the lproper' distance apart to mount the keys in a piano. While the keys are in the form of a continuous board the holes for the fulcrumpins are sunk through the key-board and into the key-frame. The pins being afterward set in the holes in the" key-frame, the keys are mounted thereon with absolute exectness.

The position of the fulcruin-pin's for the several keys varies.

Ourinvention provldes for conveniently determining' their position and rapidly prodcing them with a necessity for little labor facility; the inclination of the table, and con- Sequently of the holes, is varied at will; all lost motion resulting from imperfect workmanship or wear may be taken up; the position of thefront edge of the board is determined promptly and exactly, with power to change at will; 4and the chips or borings are instantly removed without cumbrous mechanism.

The following is a' description of what we consider the best means of carrying out the invention. The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification.

Figure l is a side elevation ot' the machine, with a key-board and key-frame in place. The latter parts, and also a removable part, which is ordinarily of wood, are sectioned, to more readily distinguish them from the metal. Fig. 2 is a front elevation, and Fig. 3 is a plan vlew.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures.

A is the fixed table, supported at a convenient height on legs not represented. Certain portions of the iixed fra-ming will be marked A1, A2, &c. B is an adjustable table, connected to A by hinges b at the front, and supported near the rea-r edge by cams on shaft, C, which is adjustable in position by means of a handle or lever, C1, and. a pinching-screw, C2, which engages with a curved piece, A2. By slackening the screw C2, and changing the position ot' the lever C1, and again tightening the screw C2, the adjustable table B b will be changed in its inclination by reason ot' its back edge being supported on the cams at a higher or lower level. Thus the holes being always bored vertically, their inclination rela tively to the key-board `will be changed as required. Al Al are straight guides supported rigidly at a suitable elevation above the tixed table A. D is a carriage fitted upon and einbracing these guides, so that it is steadily guided thereby; The only motion of which WILLIAM E. MCNEIL, 0E

it is capable is a direct traverse longitudinally of the table. E is ahand-wheel fixed on a short upright shaft supported in the carriage D, and carrying at its lower extremity a gearwheelE3, which meshes into a rack, A3. By turning the hand-wheel E the gear-wheel Ea causes the carriage D and its connections to traverse in one direction or the other, as required.

G is a transversely-slidin g carriage, mounted in guides in the carriage D. It partakes nec-.

essai-ily of the motion of the carriage D, and is capable of a further motion at right angles thereto-that isV to'say, toward or from the front of the machine. This carriage G performs important functions. A smoothly-polished post g is planted on the back end of the slide G. From this post a radius-bar, H, ex-

. tends backward to a post, h, on another radius-bar, I, which is supported by a collar, j, on an upright shaft, J, and turns thereon as a center.

"driven by a-steam-engine or other power, (not represented,) imparts a powerful rapid rotary motion to the pulley G1 in all positions of the carriages D and G.

M is a boring-spindle, firmly supported in widely-separated bearings in the front ofthe carriage G. It'carries a boring-bit of any desired size or character at its lower end, and is raised and lowered by the hand-lever O, which communicates with it by means of a suitable collar and trunnions, as will be readily un,- derstood. The weight of the lever 0 and boring-arbor is balanced by a weight, O. A continuous rapid rptatory motion is communicated to the boring-arbor M, in all positions, by

means of a belt running from a large pulley,

G2', to a small pulley, M2, on a sleeve, M1,

' which is feathered to the boring-arbor M.

P P are screw-wings, formed on a piece of thin metal secured to the arbor M, in the immefliate'vicinity of the boring-hit. Its rapid rotation generates,.by its direct action on the air, a sufficient current to blow away the borings. A trough of rectangular section is formed between the guides A A', adapted to receive a thick board, or a corresponding piece of metal, R. A peculiarly-curved groove is formed in its upper surface, which may, if preferred, be sunk quite through it, so as to form a slot, as indicated by 1^. This groove or slot r receives a pin, Q, which is fixed in the carriage G, and may be removed at pleasure.

It will be understood that a suficient aper- I ture is provided in the carriage D to allow the pin Q to traverse backward and forward to a proper extent. x

A key-frame, with a key-board properly applied thereon, is placed on thc adjustable table B, and held in the proper position thereon. I havedevised, as a means for clamping, a long arm, V, with a stout screw-fastening, W,

on the fixed framing A. A suitable block of metal or wood being placed under the opposite end, the long arm of this clamp is made to bear with sufficient firmness on the keyboard near the center, and thus clamps the parts rmly in position, without interfering with the boring of the two lines of holes.

Thefront edge of the key-board and keyframe should be pressed against adjustable gages T, which are held by screws a, applied through slots therein. By slackening these screws c, the gages may be set forward or back, as required, to bring the line of holes in the proper position for any given style of keyboard.

Having clamped the work, and introduced the proper grooved board R, and inserted the pin Q, the attendant grasps the hand-wheel Ewith his left hand, and the handle of the lever O with his right hand, it being understood that the lines by which the several keys are to,l be ultimately sawed out have been plainly traced upon the upper surface of the key-board by means of the templets, or otherwise. The attendant turns the hand-wheel E until the boring-bit has traversed to a position approximating the center of one ofthe keys, and then depresses the handle O until its descent is arrested by a stop. He then raises the handle and turns the wheel E until it has brought the bit over a point approximating to the center of the next key, and depresses again, and so on. The pin Q, during these movements, traverses along the groove Y, and causes the slide G, and consequently the boring-arbor M. to move backward or forward to just the right extent, so that the holes are placed in exactly the proper curve to correspond with the scale ofthe piano.

The boring-bit is made to bore a small hole quite through the key, and into the key-frame below, while a larger hole is sunk in the key to only the proper extent. Thusthe position of each hole laterally is not of extreme importance, becauseif some or all the holes are placed a little to one side or the other of the exact centers of the keys, the holes in the key-board being correspondingly placed, no mischiefresults; but it is important that the length of the respective arms of the keys, or, in other words. that the curvature of the line of holes, be correct. This is determined by the traverse of the guide-pin Q in the slot or groove r, except in case where, from imperfection of workmanship or wear, a looseness or lost motion is allowed. I avoid this by employing a weight, L,

connected, by means of a flexible cord or strap, l, to a hooked wire, X. The wire X may be turned so that its hook shall engage with the guide-pin Q or some connected part, in which lessee 3 case the gravity of the weight depending over a pulley, l', at the front edge holds the guidepin Q rml y against the front side of the groove r. When the machine is adjusted by hand, without any guide-board R r, or when, for any other reason, it is desired to relieve the guidepin Q and its connections from the pull of the Weight, the hooked Wire X is disengaged, and, the hook being reversed in position,may be turned over, so as to be of no effect.

Some of the advantages due to certain features ofthe invention may be realized without the others. Thus, for example, the means for taking up lost motion may be dispensed with and, in case the groove r matches very closely to the pin Q, the position of every hole will be sufficiently correct for all practical purposes. I have, in some cases, operated in making a line of holes by marking their position with a templet', and, dispensing with the special grooved board It r', pushed the carriage G backward, and

drew it forward b y hand tobring it into the right position for each hole. This mode of working involves more labor and a risk of greater inaccuracy, but it may be used for the manufacture of a single key-board, or for a small number of any pattern for which no guide Rr whas been prepared. U is a pinching-screw, tapped through the carriage Gr, and adapted to unite this carriage firmly to the longitudin al l'y-traversi n g carriage D when it is desired to bore the straight line of' holes along the front of the key-board. board being turned-with its. underfaee upward, and properly gaged and clamped, and

the proper boring-bit being set, the pin Q is withdrawn from the guide-groove r, the carriage G .is moved forward on the carriage D to exactly the right position, Vand is there rmly set by turning the set-screw before described, marked U. Thus adjusted, the hand-wheel E is turned, and the lever O depressed, as before.

Ve claim as our invention-Y l. The carriages D G, capable of lateral and longitudinal movement, boring-arbor M, supporting means O', depressing means O, sleeve To operate this, the key! M', and train of belt and pulley gearing, for communicating power thereto in allpositions,

combined and arranged for joint operation,

combination with the carriages ,D G, boringl arbor M, weight O', lever 0, sleeve M1, and means for communicating power thereto in all positions, combined and arranged for joint op'- eration, as and for the purposes herein set forth.

3. In combination with the carriages D G, capable of moving upon each other, as shown, the boring mechanism M1 M2 P, the adjustment O O therefor, and the pulley G1, the confining device U, adapted for fixing the carriages D and G rigidly together for the boring ofthe line of straight holes, as specied.

4. The hinged tilting table B b, and adjusting-lever and cam-shaft C C', in combination with the boring-arbor M and means for operating it in its several required positions, as herein specified.

5. The bar V and screw W, in combination with the tilting table B, and boring-tool M, as herein specified.

6. The Weight L and connected hook wire X, in combination with' the carriages D G, guide-pin Q, and guiding groove or slot fr, as and for the purposes herein specified.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands this 26th day of December, 1874, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

MOSES G. WILlDER. WM. H. MGN EIL. HENRY C. TYLER. Witnesses to signature of M. G. WILDER:

WM. C. DEY, CHAs. PLAGE. Witnesses to signature of W. H. MCNEIL:

S. R. MERRICK, A. P. MARVIN. Witnesses to signature of H. C. TYLER GIDEoN PARKER, W. J. DIXON. 

